Unified Forwarding Table for Distributed Router Traffic
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional routers face bottlenecks due to increased Internet traffic and high-bandwidth network paths, as they require multiple forwarding tables and engines for different IP traffic types, leading to high costs and complexity, and fail to adapt to varying traffic mixes.
Innovation Solution
A distributed architecture router using a unified forwarding table and a single forwarding engine to process IPv4, IPv6, and MPLS packets, allowing automatic adaptation to varying traffic mixes and reducing complexity and cost by eliminating the need for multiple forwarding engines and tables.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple dedicated forwarding tables are used for different traffic types (IPv4, IPv6, MPLS), then forwarding accuracy for each traffic type is improved, but device complexity and memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple dedicated forwarding tables (IPv4, IPv6, MPLS) into a single unified forwarding table. The table uses a unified entry structure that includes fields applicable to all traffic types, eliminating the need to manage separate tables for each protocol while maintaining accurate forwarding for all traffic types.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified forwarding table is designed to serve multiple traffic types simultaneously. Each entry in the table can handle IPv4, IPv6, or MPLS packets through a universal structure that includes protocol-specific fields optionalized based on the packet type, allowing one table to perform the function of multiple specialized tables.
2Productivity
If multiple forwarding engines are used for different traffic types, then processing capacity for each traffic type is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a single forwarding engine that can process all traffic types (IPv4, IPv6, MPLS) through a unified forwarding process. The engine uses a common data structure and processing logic that adapts to different packet types, eliminating the need for multiple specialized forwarding engines while maintaining high processing capacity for all traffic types.
3Reliability
If multiple forwarding tables are used, then forwarding capability for each traffic type is improved, but memory space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple forwarding tables into one unified table, consolidating the memory resources required for storing forwarding information. Instead of allocating separate memory spaces for IPv4, IPv6, and MPLS tables, the unified table uses a single memory structure that can dynamically accommodate all traffic types, reducing total memory requirements.
4Measurement precision
If separate forwarding tables are constructed for each traffic type, then forwarding precision for each type is improved, but table space efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The unified forwarding table uses a universal entry structure that maintains forwarding precision for all traffic types while improving space efficiency. The structure includes protocol-specific fields that are optionalized based on the packet type, allowing the table to store only the necessary information for each traffic type rather than replicating full table structures for IPv4, IPv6, and MPLS separately.
Data Source
AI summary
A router for transmitting data packets to and receiving data packets from N interfacing peripheral devices. The router comprises a first packet processor that receives a first data packet from a physical medium device (PMD) module coupled to one of the N interfacing peripheral device and determines if a format of the first data packet is one of IPv4, IPv6 and MPLS. The first packet processor determines a destination device of the first data packet by looking up the destination device in a unified forwarding table containing destination devices for data packets in IPv4 format, IPv6 format, and MPLS format.